The Best of Care
by Maudlin Mush
Summary: After a rocky shift at the 98s, Kel Brackett watches over Johnny Gage. Judicious application of Knob Creek implied. Follows "Variety".


The Best of Care 

**by MM**

disclaimer: The characters of Emergency do not belong to me. Whiskey can be medicinal when applied correctly. As always I'll help 'em up, dust them off, give 'em a smooch and send them back when I'm done.

rating: K+

note: follows "Variety".

Dr. Joe Early looked over the chart in front of him. A paramedic hurt in the line of duty. Mostly smoke coupled with a few cuts. Tendency towards pneumonia. He'd need a few breathing treatments, stitches and an overnight to see if antibiotics were needed. He made notes, requested a room and then took a deep breath. He pushed on the exam room door and walked in with determination.

"Johnny, you're here for the night," he said as firmly as he could. He braced himself for the explosion.

"Ok, doc," a small, tired, voice agreed. Early did a double take. This was John Gage, the number one patient for refusing to stay in hospital even half a day. The man lying on the gurney, naked under the sheet thanks to Dixie to prevent sneaking out, looked exhausted. Early crossed the room and checked his pulse and respiration once more.

"I'll be right back," he said with concern. Submission was not something a doctor wanted to see in the young paramedic. He stepped back out in the hall and sought out Kel Brackett.

"Kel?" he got his colleague's attention.

"Hi Joe!" the dark haired doctor smile, "having some trouble with Johnny?"

"No, actually," Joe replied. "Just the opposite, in fact. He's completely withdrawn. He pulse didn't even rise when I said he'd need to stay the night." Brackett frowned.

"That's not the John Gage I know," Kel said. "Where's Roy?"

"Off shift. Johnny's pulling overtime at the 98s," Joe said. "Do you think something happened to him?"

"Maybe," he said. "Let me go check him out." Brackett took the chart from Early and entered the exam room. He first looked over the patient. Prone, arm thrown over his eyes hiding. No attempt to pull the sheet up further than where Dixie had put it.

"Hi Johnny," Kel began.

"I told Dr. Early I'd stay," Gage replied in a flat, lifeless tone.

"I know, Johnny," Kel crossed the room and purposefully crossed the huge personal space Gage wanted, putting his hands on both shoulders. "I just want to know why."

"I ate too much smoke, I needed stitches, I need breathing treatments," he recited in monotones.

"Normally you'd be fighting hospitalization tooth and nail." Brackett commented. He received a noncommittal shrug.

"I can call Roy or Hank," he offered.

"Out of town," came the reply.

"Both of them?" a surprised Brackett asked. And received a nod.

"How about with me?" he asked. Kel had done that before. He received a shrug, then a little nod.

"Ok, I'm off in an hour or so," the doctor said. "You can have a breathing treatment, get some scrubs on, and come to my place for the night. Joe can check you out again tomorrow morning and you can have another treatment." Another nod. Kel could see he'd get nothing from the paramedic for the moment so he opted to rub and pat his shoulders, told him to relax, and left to arrange for his release.

It was a silent paramedic that sat in the car beside Dr. Brackett. A silent paramedic that followed him into his home. A silent paramedic that sat on the couch, toed off his shoes, then lie down, covering his eyes. Kel went into the kitchen, snagged two tumblers of ice and poured out measures of whiskey in each. Nudging Johnny upright once more he handed the whiskey to him and sat down next to him, the bottle landed on the coffee table.

"Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?" he asked as he sipped at his drink. Johnny stared into the amber depths before taking a small sip himself. He was not a fan of hard liquor, as Kel well knew, but also knew it'd help him relax.

Gage avoided talking for several sips. Until Brackett moved a little closer and nudged his shoulder.

"I went in because one of the paramedics came down sick," he said. "I don't normally sub at the 98s, I haven't been subbing the last few months, because, because..." he halted.

"Because you have things you're taking care of," Brackett threw him that bone since he knew Johnny'd been in counseling and was working out issues. His own station crew protected him for the most part, understood him, appreciated him. So a bad dream or strange reaction was not questioned.

"I agreed to come in to finish out the shift. 98's captain said he couldn't find anyone and I was recommended. So I went," Gage took a longer sip. Brackett picked up the bottle and poured a larger measure in. The paramedic raised an eyebrow at the drink.

"Medicinal," Kel shrugged.

"When I got there, went to put my stuff in the locker, I was drenched by a water bomb," Johnny explained. "Seems Chet Kelly was covering for a friend of his." The light dawned.

"And he recommended you to the captain," Brackett filled in the dots. Gage took a mouthful and savored it as he nodded.

"He's a swell guy," Johnny managed a level of sarcasm Kel never thought possible from Gage.

"Made your life a living hell?" Brackett suggested. Another large swallow. Another tip of the bottle.

"I hope you have aspirin," Gage said grimly.

"Whole bottle full," Kel smiled. "Plenty of coffee, too."

"I miss Cap and Roy," the paramedic admitted. "All the counseling techniques can't counter a determined Chet Kelly and a group of ignorant people."

"He hit all your buttons?" a sympathetic nudge.

"And a few I didn't know about," he said dully. Gage hated the feelings evoked by the Phantom.

"How'd you get the smoke exposure and cuts?" Brackett shifted the conversation slightly to give him some time to recover.

"Went in with the other paramedic, Schaeffer," Johnny said. "We were getting out a couple people when a wall partially collapsed. He helped me up, but my hose had been slashed so I had no O2. We each grabbed a body and got out," he took a smaller sip. "Fortunately my coat took the brunt of the metal and wood and I only needed a few stitches."

"Fortunately," Brackett agreed.

"Kelly was concerned and all," Gage reported, "came over and checked on me and promised to call Cap when he got back to the station. Guess he forgot Cap is down in San Diego with his family. Roy's up in Sacramento visiting his parents."

"Well, I'm sorry Chet made your life a misery," Kel said as he put an arm over the younger man's shoulder. "But you get to have a sleep over with me!" Gage finally smiled and raised his face to Kel's.

"Do you still have my toothbrush?" he asked. Now Brackett's face lit in a smile.

"Of course," he replied, "and clean sheets on the guest bed." They sat together in comfortable silence. Johnny continued to sip at the whiskey. As Kel 'freshened' up his drink once again his expression turned curious.

"Have you eaten today?" he asked.

"Uhm, breakfast," John answered.

"Lunch? Dinner?" Kel pressed. It was well after eight at night. Johnny now snickered and shook his head negatively.

"Lunch was inedible thanks to some tabasco sauce," he said mirthlessly. "I've been on several runs this afternoon and we haven't had dinner."

"I just poured you a heck of a lot of whiskey!" Kel stuttered.

"And good whiskey at that," Johnny smirked with a nod to his host.

"You let me get you drunk!" now an accusation.

"Not quite, need a little more for that," goofy grin.

"Ok, hose jockey," Kel playfully growled. "Into the kitchen and I'll see what I can cook for you!" He stood up and assisted Johnny to his feet. They walked into the spacious kitchen; Gage was seated at the plain table (he still had his drink) while Brackett went to check out his refrigerator. He pulled out various ingredients and set them on the counter.

"Omelet, toast, and tinned peaches," Brackett decided as he began preparation. Johnny kept grinning.

"Sounds good to me, doc!" he said. Now Kel snorted.

"Peanut butter sandwiches would sound good to you!" he retorted not realizing how true that was!

"Pean'budder on toast," Johnny was just starting to slur. "Milk" he managed as he took another healthy sip of whiskey. The doctor looked at him. He'd forgotten the younger man usually only had a couple beers at most. At least he looked to be a happy drunk.

Eggs were whipped up with a little milk, some chopped spring onions and

a few mushrooms were added. This was poured into a hot teflon pan and carefully tended to until ready to flip. Johnny watched, fascinated, as the doctor deftly flipped the omelet and turned the heat off, then sprinkled cheese over it. This was left on the stove to finish cooking and bread was popped into the toaster. A can of peaches was opened and drained. Soon Brackett expertly plated a late dinner.

"Wow, doc!" John said appreciatively, "you're great!" He eyed the fluffy omelet and poked it with his fork before taking a careful bite. Kel laughed out loud as the paramedic's eyes nearly crossed then closed in bliss. He could hear his stomach rumbling around the belated meal. Now he hoped it stayed down since so much alcohol had been imbibed.

The paramedic thoroughly demolished the food, down to the toast and full can of peaches. Before he could stand up and carry his dishes to the sink, Brackett took them over, rinsed them off and tucked them into the dishwasher. The pan and prep items were also rinsed and put in then a quick wipe down with a rag. Johnny watched with a content smile, back to sipping at his drink.

"Want to check out the offerings on the TV?" Kel asked. He received a nod and the two men went back to the front room. Gage settled onto the couch leaving Brackett his favored chair. Doc started flipping through the channels and finally stopped on Adam-12 in deference to his guest. At least he could watch Johnny Carson or Merv Griffin later.

"You don't have ta watch this," Johnny lightly protested. But Kel smiled.

"It'll keep you occupied while I get a few things done," he said. "I'll get my talk show fix later!" Now Gage snickered. He had first hand experience of the good doctor's obsession with talk shows.

Kel moved about his home straightening a few things and gathering laundry. He hung fresh towels in the bathroom and made sure the guest room was ready. He set out a large tumbler of water on the night stand. Finally he went back into the kitchen to get a pitcher of water and glass full of ice. He had a hose jockey to hydrate.

Johnny barely noticed the return of the doctor as he followed the on-screen drama. His whiskey glass was replaced and soon he was sipping water.

"The more you drink the better you'll feel tomorrow," Brackett explained.

"No 'hair of the dog'?" Gage asked with wide-eyed innocence.

"No dog," Kel reminded him. Johnny lifted his glass in salute then took another sip. The show winded down and the channels were surfed through once more.

The next thing Johnny knew he was being encourage to get up. He stumbled down to the bathroom where he sleepily prepared for bed. Then he was guided into a bedroom and tucked in. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He only recalled one bad dream, and it didn't even feature his uncle. No, it was the guys at the 98s replaying the day's torment, except it continued on and he hadn't been brought into Rampart. With a muffled shout he pushed himself upright and stared at the darkness in a room he couldn't place.

Not home, not Roy's and not Cap's. A shuffling at the door caught his attention and Kel Brackett came in wiping sleep from his eyes. Without a word he sat down on the bed beside him and threw his sleep-warmed arm around Johnny's trembling shoulders.

They sat for a time, Kel becoming more awake as Johnny became more relaxed towards sleep.

"Ok?" Kel asked.

"Yeah," Gage replied.

"Want to talk about it," the doctor asked.

"Not really, just a stupid recap of today," the paramedic replied.

"Want to go back to sleep?" he asked. He felt Johnny nod and carefully lowered him back on the bed. He pulled up covers, swept the hair out of his friend's eyes and wished him better dreams. Finally he padded out of the room and back to his own bed.

When Kel woke the next morning the aroma of coffee tickled his nose and the off-key singing of a 'morning' person assailed his ears. It seemed Johnny did not get a hang-over from all the liquor he'd consumed. And he was cheerfully awake before seven in the morning!

Brackett stumbled into the bathroom and cleaned up a bit. Then he pulled on his robe and wandered down to the kitchen. Gage was wearing the sweat pants and t-shirt he'd left out on the dresser. He'd set the table and was pouring out two mugs of coffee.

"Mornin', Doc!" he said cheerfully. Kel grunted and sat down. He picked up the mug and sniffed. One thing Johnny could do was make decent coffee. A few sips helped perk up the bleary man.

"Toast," a plate appeared before him, butter and jam on the side. "Eggs, sausage," appeared next. "Fruit salad," a bowl of mandarin orange segments and sliced pears appeared. A spoonful was placed next to his sausage and eggs. Gage then set a duplicate breakfast down on the other side of the table and sat down.

Silence reigned while Brackett woke up. The coffee helped immensely. Then a hot breakfast he didn't have to make. He was half-way through the toast and eggs when he finally looked up at his table companion.

He was glad to see the sparkle back in his eye. An exhausted Gage was not good. Johnny caught the inspection and grinned.

"Awake?" his voice even sounded sparkly and bright.

"Mostly," Kel offered. "Need more coffee." Gage obliged by getting the pot and filling both mugs again. The doorbell rang.

"I'm up, I'll get it!" Johnny literally bounced out of the room. Did he really think an awake Johnny was good? Kel rubbed his eyes and sipped the hot coffee.

"Good morning, Kel!" Dixie said as she walked in followed by the human Tigger. Johnny popped more bread in the toaster and threw two eggs in the fry pan while the nurse planted an affectionate kiss on the doctor's cheek. More coffee was poured and soon three people were eating breakfast.

"This is wonderful!" Dixie exlaimed as she took a bite of egg medium over. "Usually I'm lucky if I just get a cup of coffee." Kel raised an eyebrow.

"I like mornings," Johnny said. Kel swore the man was still bouncing even though it appeared he was seated across from him. "There are possibilities in a sun rise, places to go, people to meet, lots of future to live." Dixie snickered. The younger man was a complete opposite to Kel's doom and gloom mornings.

"You sound much better," she commented. "Joe will be pleased. He thought you might need antibiotics."

"Kel had some special medicine that fixed me right up," Johnny teased with a wide grin. Dixie glanced over at her friend, a question in her eyes.

"I pulled out the Knob Creek," he explained, "and was very generous. Then I found out hose jockey here hadn't eaten all day." He sipped his coffee and then held out his mug for more. "At least he's a quietly happy drunk."

"As opposed to mornings?" Dixie grinned.

"In the mornings he seems to be a force of nature second to none," the doctor grumbled. There was a snicker from the 'force of nature' as he stood and began rinsing plates and putting them in the dishwasher. Pans were washed, dried and put away and the left over fruit salad went into the fridge with the butter and jam.

"I already showered, so it's all yours," Johnny said as poured the end of the coffee into Kel's mug. Then he started making a new pot.

With an inelegant grunt Brackett picked up his coffee and wandered down the hall. Dixie smiled at Johnny.

"He is not a morning person," she chuckled.

"I got that impression," Johnny responded with a chuckle of his own. They sat there and traded bits of news and gossip. More coffee was poured out when the doorbell rang again. The paramedic bounced out to see who was there.

"Hi, Johnny, thought I'd stop by to see how you were," Joe Early said as he walked in. "You look well."

"Feeling good, Doc, feeling good," he replied as they went into the kitchen.

"Kel has a special prescription it seems," Dixie said as she accepted a kiss on the cheek from her old friend.

"Really?" Joe asked. "Thanks, Johnny,"

he added as a mug of coffee was placed before him.

"Knob Creek," she said.

"Liberally applied," Gage added.

"Not something I've read about in the periodicals," Joe commented as he sipped his cuppa. "I swear we should hire you to make the coffee at Rampart."

"Nah, you need Mike for that," Johnny replied. "I'm ok with the 10 to 12 cup models, but for those industrial sizes Mike's got the touch." The three of them chatted about perfect coffee and the best places to drink it. Early opted for a small bistro in San Francisco while Dixie offered the best she'd had was in Hawaii at the Kona plantations. Johnny said the very best was done over a fire while camping.

"You're all wrong," Brackett declared as he poured more coffee into his mug. "It's always the very first sip when you wake up in the morning before your brain connects with reality." This earned a chuckle from the table. The doctor leaned against the counter and looked at the people he was most relaxed around.

"Seems Johnny's coffee agrees with this little convention," he remarked.

"You should have him over more often," Joe said. "Then I could get some decent java when I stop by."

"We can trade him off," Dixie suggested.

"Ah, but then you'd have to feed me dinner," Johnny said. "Trust me, even the good docs don't make enough to do that with any regularity!" That earned a bigger laugh.

"Good point, hose jockey!" Kel raised his mug in mock salute.


End file.
